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Deakin University announces Australian scholarship

Mumbai, Jan 26 IBNS | 1 year ago

Students from two leading Mumbai colleges on Saturday became the first recipients of a new Vice-Chancellor Scholarship Program from Deakin University, Australia, aimed at strengthening international ties in education and supporting global graduates of the future. Deakin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander made the presentations at the Kishinchand Chellaram College of Arts, Commerce and Science (KC College) and the Hassaram Rijhumal College of Commerce and Economics (HR College). "Today I had the privilege of meeting some of India's brightest minds and future leaders," Professor Jane den Hollander said. "Back in 1893, Alfred Deakin - the Australian Prime Minister for whom my university is named - predicted that students from Australia and India would travel across their international borders and form lasting intellectual partnerships. It is a great privilege to be in Mumbai today to see Alfred Deakin's prophecy come vividly to life," Hollander said. Hollander said Deakin University was introducing a Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship Program in India as a way of fostering international educational collaboration and supporting students to succeed and thrive in our competitive global world. Under the new program, talented students will be supported to enroll in a course at a Deakin campus in Australia and receive a 50 percent fee waiver. Five undergraduate scholarships and five post-graduate scholarships are available. "This program will help Deakin forge even stronger links with some of India's leading educational institutions and encourage Indian students to enroll in our courses," Professor den Hollander said. "KC College and HR College are already partners with Deakin University and it is fitting to be here in Mumbai today to mark a new chapter in those relationship," he added. Professor den Hollander presented the Deakin Vice-Chancellor Scholarships to, Akash Punjabi - Year Three of Bachelor of Commerce at KC College; Aatish Jaisinghani - Year Twelve at HR College and Aakash Mehta - Year Three of Bachelor of Banking and Insurance at HR College. Hollander congratulated the students and commended KC College Principal Manju Nichani and HR College Principal Dr Indu Shahan for their warm welcome and strong contribution to building lasting partnerships between India and Australia. "Deakin University has been enriched over the years through the contribution, vibrancy and dedication of Indian students like Akash Punjabi, Aatish Jaisinghani and Aakash Mehta," Professor den Hollander said. "These outstanding young people from KC College and HR College are putting something back into their broader communities, and I am delighted to be presenting them with Deakin scholarships," Hollander. "In 1996, Deakin became the first Australian university to establish an office in India. Today, Indian students make up 11 percent of our international student population, including almost 150 PhD students," he said. "Deakin's international footprint is growing - we are currently ranked 66 in the Times Higher Education's top 100 universities under 50 years old," he added. "India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and Australian universities must build partnerships with Indian educational institutions if we want to nurture students with a truly global mindset and who understand and celebrate cultural diversity," he said. "The students I met today are the faces of the future and I look forward to seeing what they achieve in their journey towards a modern, globally-focused education and career," Hollander said.